City's light tribute to the virus volunteers
Thank you – that's the message going out to Sunderland's army of volunteers as the city celebrates national Volunteers' Week.
On Sunday night, council bosses lit up a series of landmarks – including Northern Spire, Fulwell Mill, Seaburn Lighthouse, Keel Square and the National Trust owned Penshaw Monument – in rainbow colours to mark the contribution made by local volunteers and say an official “thank you” to all those involved.
Coun John Kelly, cabinet member for communities and culture at Sunderland City Council, said: "Volunteers' Week is a great opportunity to say thank you to all our volunteers and to raise awareness of the volunteering opportunities available for anyone interested in volunteering.
"This year more than any, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to all our volunteers.”
He added: “For some time now we've been lucky enough to have a really dedicated band of volunteers, who over the years have become the mainstay of our events and programmes.
“Their contribution has undoubtedly helped make events like the Sunderland Airshow, and BIG events programme a huge success.
"We've also been bowled over by the number of volunteers who have come forward to help during the COVID-19 pandemic and the tremendous efforts they've made.”
He went on: "Little did we think when we asked people in March to let us know if they were willing to help or needed support, that we would have more than 1,000 volunteers.
"Their help has been invaluable in helping us support the most vulnerable in our communities during this crisis whether that's been delivering food parcels, checking on those who are shielding or helping people with their shopping.”
So far, the council has seen 1,052 people register to volunteer – 1,007 of them matched to either a community group or an individual.
There have been 1,116 people register for support and more than 700 residents receiving either one off or ongoing support.
Coun Kelly added: “We hope they will continue to work with us in communities across the city for many years to come.
"It’s only right that we should celebrate the enormous contribution that all our volunteers have made to the life of our city over the last year. They embody Sunderland's reputation as a city where people look out for each other and we are extremely grateful to them."
For more information on volunteering in the city, go to www.sunderland.gov.uk/ volunteering